Vessel-unloading apparatus.



' No. 690,089. Patented Dec. 3|, l90l.

G. P. WETMORE.

VESSEL UNk-OADING APPARATUS.

(Application filedMar. 20, 1901,)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 690,089. Patented Dec. 3|, I90l. G. P. WETMORE.

VESSEL UNLDADING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Mar. 20, 1901,)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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NlTFD STATES GEORGE P. XVETMORE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

VESSEL-UNLOADiNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,089, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed March 20, 1901. Serial No. 52,024. (No model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. WETMoRE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco,State of California,have invented an Improvement in Vessel-Unloading Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a means for unloading vessels. It is especially designed for dischargingbroken rock and the like from barges and other vessels on which it is conveyed.

The invention consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the device. Fig. 2 is a detail of the support for the elevators. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the scow, taken in front of the elevators. Figs. 4: and 5 are detail views of one form of a carrier-belt. Fig. 6 shows another form. Fig. 7 is a view of a gate and its connections.

My apparatus is applicable to any form of vessel which may be employed for transpor-' tation of material. In the present drawings I have shown it as applied to a flat-bottomed barge or scow, as A. Upon this vessel, at a suitable height above the bottom to admit of the carriers being placed beneath them, are the receiving compartments 2. These may be arranged in line with each other side by side and subdivided as may be found most convenient for the work. I have here shown four of the compartments standing two in line with each other and also transversely side by side. The bottoms of these compartments are provided with fu nnel'shaped discharge-openings, as 3, and these have suitable controlling-gates. Beneath these compartments and their discharge-funnels are traveling carriers 4. These may be in the form of endless belts formed of any sufficiently flexible and resistant material, so that they will not be rapidly worn by the rock. As here shown, these belts at pass around drums 5, and power may be applied to them from any suitable motor, as 6, so that the carriers are caused to travel toward a point of discharge suitably located with relation to the different compartments. I have here shown this discharge as being approximately central of the apparatus, and the carrying-belts discharge. through chutes,

as at 7, upon traveling elevator belts 8. These belts pass around drums, as 9, journaled in the lower part of the vessel and over similar drums supported upon a derrick or framework, as 10, sufficiently high to allow the elevators to lift the material from the vessel to the dock or other point of discharge. The elevators have frames, which are suspended from the derrick by ropes, as at 11, and the frames being turnable about the axes of the lower drums at 9 it will be seen that the elevators may be raised, so as to stand in an essentially vertical position while the vessel is traveling from the point of loading to the point of discharge, and when the latter has been reached they may be let down to any desired angle to suit the point of discharge.

The object of this apparatus is to provide for the cheap and easy handling of rock used in concrete building purposes and like materials by allowing it to be loaded in bulk at a distant quarry and then to be mechanically discharged with butlittle handling. For this purpose the compartments into which the rock is loaded are provided with a series of discharge chutes or funnels opening out of the bottom, and by means of the gates controlling these discharge-openings they may be opened successively to a degree which will allow the traveling belts or carriers to be continuously loaded, and when one part of the compartment has been emptied a second discharge can be opened, and so on until the whole compartment has been emptied. Each compartment may be emptied in the same manner or it may be emptied simultaneously.

The gates 12 may be operated in any wellknown or desired manner. I have here shown slide-gates with fulcrumed levers 13, so connected as to open and close them.

The carrying-belts 4 (shown in Fig. 6) may .be made of plates of metal fixed to and carried by an endless flexible band, whichthey protect, and side plates 4, overlapping and movable with relation to each other when passing around the end drums, or the flexible belt may be inclosed at intervals and its drums 17 are journaled at intervals to sup 20, turnable in said boxes and abutting These latter shafts .supportthe boxes 21, and the ends of the: elevator frame-timbers 18, which'rest upon the boxes in rwhichthe drum-shafts are turns able, -may thus be turned aboutthe axis com-' mon toithemand'torthe elevator belt-drums. 1

against the shafts 19.

This allowssthese-partsgto'be tilted'to any desiredangle without altering thetension ofthe elevator belts; or chains. ets22rare fi-xed1to the shaft 20. 23-from the upper-part ofthe elevator-frame 1-8, diverging and connected to the main. frame 10, serve to steady the elevator and;- prevent side swaying motion, and these frames may beifurther-stiffened by truss rods, Y

The braces as at 24.

In.order'to-distribute-the load and relieve.

the-bottom of'the'vessel of tooimuch weight,

the elevator-framesrare supported by'supplemental hanging frames 25 with;suspen'ding-' .rodsfrom the deck-beams, as at 26, Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaimasnew, and. desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination witha-barge orvessel, of a series of compartments having dischargechutes with controlling-gates, anendlesstraveling carrier located beneath and-adapted to receive the discharge from either of the, .chutes, a framework with endless elevator, a

drum and driving shaftabout-which the lower .endof the elevator passes,;supports axially in line with the driving-shaft uponwhich the .lowerends .of the elevator-frame are supported, and means for delivering the material from the'carrier to the elevator.

2. The combination with-a vessel orlbarge of a series of compartments located above the bottom of the vessel having a number of discharge openings and controlling gates through the bottom and in line with each other, an endless traveling carrier located beneath the line of discharge-openings, an ele-v vator and a frame upon which it is carried, a driving-shaft, and a drum over which the lower end of the elevator passes, supports axially in line with the shaft and npon'which the lower ends of the elevator-frame are-supported, a driving mechanism from which power is communicated to drive the carrier and elevator in unison, and a chute adapted to receive material from the carrier-and deliver it to the elevator.

3. An apparatus for mechanically unload- The driving-sprock-.

ing vessels consisting of compartments raised above the bottom of the vessel and adapted to contain the material to be transported, funnel-shaped discharge-openings formed in line contiguous to each other in the bottom of the compartments, gates'by which said openings are controlled, endless traveling carriers located beneaththe lines of discharge-openings of each of the compartments and adapt ed to deliver material, one or more elevators having supporting-frames which are turn able about the driving and fulcrum shafts at the lower end, a fixed derrick or structure and connections between it and the elevatorframes wherebythe angles of the latter may be changed at will.

4. 'In an apparatus for transporting antidelivering materiaha framework with endless elevating-belt, a drum and driving shaft about which the lower-end -of the elevatorbelt passes, and supportsaxially in line-with the shaft upon which the :.lower ends-of the frame. are supported.

' 5. Inan apparatus'fortransportinganddelivering material,.a framework-withendless elevating, 'belt, a drum and .drivingxshaft aboutwhich the lower-end .of the elevatorbelt passes,:shafts supportedintline-withithe drum-shaft, having boxes in which .the ends of "the drum-shaft are turn'able, said :boxes alsoforming supports for the lower end-s of the frame-timbers wh-erebythey are turnable about a common axis.

6. The combination .witha vessel or-barge of a series of compartments having discharge- -chutes and controlling-gates at :the bottom,

an endless traveling carrier locatedbeneath and adapted to receive the discharge from either of the chutes, an elevator, the receiving end of'whic-h is located below'the carrier,

achute. adapted to receive the materialfrom the carrier and deliver it to the elevator, a framework .u pon which the lower end of the elevator is carried, a driving-.shaftfor the elevator'gsupports axially in .linewith said shaft and upon which the lower ends of the elevator-framework are supported, means for drivingtheshaft, and suspension con nections betweensaid framework and the deck-timbers of .the vessel.

7. Anapparatusfor transporting and deliveringmaterial, including an endless travelingelevator, a driving-shaft around'which one end .of the elevator passes, .supportsaxially in line with the shaft andupon whichone end of theelevator-frame is supported, and

connections between said supports and the.

deck -.timbers .of the vessel, whereby the weight is divided between the deck and bottom of the vessel.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE P. 'WETMORE.

\Vitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, JEssIE O. BRODIE. 

